After several months, the Seat Ateca continues to surprise. It leads the SUV class for handling, well ahead of direct rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai and even the closely related Škoda Karoq.

The suspension is firm enough to ensure owners won’t experience too much body lean when cornering, helping to make the Ateca feel agile, even when four people are on board. The steering is precise and offers decent feedback, making it easy to place the nose of the car where you want it. Anyone coming to the Ateca after years of driving nimble family hatchbacks will not feel they have aged and gotten boring, so the emphasis must be on Seat dealers to make sure prospects get a proper test drive, not a 10-minute cruise around a retail park.

My family has been impressed by this Ateca’s elegant, sharp styling and high levels of comfort and convenience, such as heated front seats, arm rests, and reading and footwell lights for rear passengers. They also love that its infotainment system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, so they can force me to turn off Planet Rock and listen to their playlists instead.

However, friends have described our Ateca as “anonymous” when parked next to its rivals. I think the Reflex Silver colour of our car doesn’t do it justice – Atecas in Samoa Orange, Velvet Red or Lava Blue look stunning. There is no additional cost for metallic finish – private buyers should be encouraged to be brave and stand out from the silver or white of company car users.